Standing before a packed house in the newly opened Wolford Family Athletic Center, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chancellor Steven R. Angle delivered his annual State of the University address on Monday, Sept. 16, celebrating UTC’s achievements and charting an ambitious course for the future as part of Founder’s Week—a celebration of the institution’s 138th anniversary.
With a theme focused on “What does it mean to be a Moc?” Angle’s address called on the UTC community to rise to the challenge of making this the best decade in the history of the University.
“Why go to college? Why go to UTC?” Angle asked before sharing an insightful note from a Chattanooga Times Free Press reader about the more profound value of the college experience beyond financial gain. The focus, the reader wrote, is on learning, caring, giving back and making a positive impact.
“These life-shaping traits define the college experience—the ‘Mocs’ experience,” Angle said. “We are not merely putting information in the heads of our students. Our mission is to help students become contributing, engaged citizens of our society. Our students graduate understanding the world and how they can make a positive difference.”
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Click here for the 2024 State of the University webpage
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Held in the Wolford Center’s 6,000-square-f00t dedicated event space for campus use, the address was attended by faculty, staff, students, alums, building donors and numerous dignitaries—including UT System President Randy Boyd; Tennessee Sen. Bo Watson, chair of the Hamilton County Legislative Delegation and the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee and a 1983 UTC alum; and Rep. Greg Vital.
Angle thanked the UT System and the Hamilton County Legislative Delegation for their strong support, including a personal thanks to U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann for his support of numerous federal community investments in quantum and mobility.
At the heart of the chancellor’s message was a commitment to what he called the three pillars of a UTC education: top-notch classroom experiences, opportunities to apply learning in real-world situations and leadership development.
“Mocs learn. Mocs do. Mocs lead,” he said, reinforcing that these are the qualities that set UTC apart as the University moves forward in what he called “our best decade.”
That spirit of excellence and community was evident as he discussed UTC’s recently released enrollment figures.
Chancellor Angle
“We have a record freshman class: 2,473 new freshmen—an increase of 4.8% from last year. Even better, we have a record enrollment of 11,834 students,” he said, noting that graduate enrollment also saw a significant jump of 13.7%, reaching 1,589.
Affordability remains a key focus, Angle said, highlighting the impact of the UT Promise program—which ensures that students from families earning $75,000 or less pay no tuition or fees. “Over two-thirds of families in Tennessee are eligible for a last-dollar tuition and fee scholarship,” he said, crediting the support of Gov. Bill Lee and the General Assembly.
Fundraising reached new heights with $60.1 million in gifts received from 6,762 donors.
Angle outlined an unprecedented $414 million in funded capital projects underway at the start of the 2024-2025 academic year, including the completion of the Wolford Family Athletic Center/McKenzie Arena renovation, the upcoming Fletcher Hall addition to the Gary W. Rollins College of Business, the School of Nursing’s new Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building, and a new 780-bed residence hall.
“These projects will have transformational impacts on our campus,” he said.
Angle said UTC’s commitment to research was underscored by a 9.3% increase in research awards. A significant milestone was the creation of the UTC Research Institute and the landing of a Governor’s Chair in Quantum Information Science and Engineering in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He also announced that two new Ph.D. programs in mobility and quantum studies are in development, which “will help us recruit the best faculty in the areas of mobility and quantum.”
As UTC continues to grow, Angle reaffirmed the University’s roots as a traditional liberal arts institution.
“While some question the value of the liberal arts, we say these are essential elements of the learning experience and of life,” he said. “Whether our graduates are engineers, business leaders, teachers, scientists, nurses, or any other major, they must understand people, cultures, religions, creative expression of the human condition, and our history.
“Our students must appreciate the context of how we arrived at this place, at this time, if they are to be engaged citizens of society and leaders in their community. This is how Mocs are prepared to lead.”
In concluding his address, Angle said, “Our charge as educators is to stimulate the aspirations of our students and encourage them to ask questions and to take bold steps.”
“At UTC, we have the privilege to help our students define, understand and achieve success,” he said. “Are we up to the job? Absolutely.”
Chancellor Steven R. Angle delivers his annual State of the University address Sept. 16 in the Wolford Family Athletic Center. Photo by Angela Foster.
Chancellor Steven R. Angle’s 2024 State of the University Address
Thank you so much for joining us today as we celebrate our 138th anniversary during Founder’s Week 2024.
I want to begin with a question: What does it mean to be a Moc?
It means being connected to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, being fearless, willing to take on big problems, accepting challenges. It means always striving for excellence and making a positive difference in the world.
UT President Randy Boyd has challenged his leadership team to make this the best decade in the history of the University of Tennessee.
Let’s respond to his challenge as we address: Why go to college? Why go to UTC?
Listen to these words from a recent “Reader Writes” in the Chattanooga Times Free Press:
“My primary intent when talking about college for my kids is not about them making money. I want them to be around a wider variety of people and listen to their thoughts and ideas. I wanted to broaden their horizons. The college experience allowed them to learn much about themselves and develop a broader perspective of the world in which we live. That’s why I sent my kids to college.”
Learning, caring, giving back, trying your best and impacting the future. These life-shaping traits define the college experience—the “Mocs” experience.
We are not merely putting information in the heads of our students. Our mission is to help students become contributing, engaged citizens of our society. Our students graduate understanding the world and how they can make a positive difference.
The Mocs experience is built on three pillars. First, UTC students have top-notch classroom experiences. Second, our students have multiple opportunities to apply what they learn to advance knowledge and solve significant problems facing our community and our society. Third, we prepare our students to be leaders in their chosen fields and in their communities.
MOCS LEARN, MOCS DO, MOCS LEAD. This is a UTC education.
As we move forward in our best decade, this is what sets us apart. We have the resources, facilities, faculty and staff to achieve excellence. Our competitive advantage is the spirit, commitment and passion of the people who are UTC: Those who work seamlessly together with the greater Chattanooga community to create opportunities that advance our students, our state and our nation.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is one of the engines that fuels the economy and quality of life in our region. We have momentum. You feel the energy on our campus—the drive to learn. The excitement of being a Moc. Learn. Do. Lead.
Let’s look at a small subset of the data that fuels this engine.
For the second year in a row, we have a record freshman class: 2,473 new freshmen—an increase of 4.8% from last year. Even better, we have a record enrollment of 11,834 students—an increase of 4% from fall 2023. Graduate student enrollment increased 13.7% to 1,589.
Retention of first-time, full-time freshmen stands at 71.9% for fall 2024, a decrease of 2% from 2023. We saw a 3% drop in retention specifically due to students in the UT Admission Collaborative, a program that provides UTC admission to qualified students who could not be accommodated at UTK. Even accounting for this 3% swing, we must and will do better.
UTC has a focus on affordability. Students with a family income of $75,000 or less—over 2/3 of families in Tennessee—are eligible for a last-dollar tuition and fee scholarship, the UT Promise. They pay nothing for tuition and fees.
This would not be possible without strong support from the general assembly and Governor Lee. I want to give a special shout-out to the Hamilton County Legislative Delegation who are so supportive of UTC and all of higher education.
Gifts to UTC in 2024 totaled $60.1 million, up from $14.1 million in 2023. A new record high. The number of donors increased from 6,100 to 6,762, an increase of 10.8%.
We have over $414 million of funded capital projects underway on our campus right now. These include:
- The Wolford Center/McKenzie addition/renovation
- Fletcher Hall addition/renovation
- Kennedy Health Sciences Building that will be home to our Nursing program
- A new 780-bed residence hall
These projects will have transformational impacts on our campus: $414 million in funded projects. Thank you to our donors, the UT System, and again to Governor Lee and the General Assembly—especially our Hamilton County Legislative Delegation.
This year, Research Awards increased by 9.3% to $15.5 million.
The new UTC Research Institute is leveraging relationships with community partners to open new doors of opportunity for UTC students and faculty. Campus investments in quantum and mobility are being matched with grant awards, state support and $5.9 million in recent federal community projects. Thank you, Congressman Fleischmann.
We were recently awarded a prestigious Governor’s Chair in quantum. The program is managed by the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute in coordination with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the UT system. The UTC Governor’s Chair in Quantum Information Science and Engineering (QISE) will have a joint appointment with the ORNL Computational Sciences and Engineering division. In addition, we are developing two new Ph.D. programs that will help us recruit the best faculty in the areas of mobility and quantum.
Our progress is impressive. UTC is on the move.
I am the person standing before you, but the great things going on at UTC were accomplished by our team: UTC faculty, staff, students and our partners. Let’s give all the people who are UTC a big round of applause for their great work.
Despite our progress, some may view UTC as not doing enough or not growing fast enough. For those interested in helping us excel, I urge you to climb aboard and have a positive impact on our accomplishments. Be part of the Mocs Community.
As an institution, we remain true to who we are: a University with deep roots as a traditional liberal arts institution. This is clearly a strength of UTC and defines the Moc experience.
While some question the value of the liberal arts, we say these are essential elements of the learning experience and of life. Whether our graduates are engineers, business leaders, teachers, scientists, nurses, or any other major, they must understand people, cultures, religions, creative expression of the human condition, and our history. Our students must appreciate the context of how we arrived at this place, at this time, if they are to be engaged citizens of society and leaders in their community. This is how Mocs are prepared to lead.
I want to share the story of one alum, Bucky Wolford, who exemplifies what it means to be a Moc.
James “Bucky” Wolford came to Chattanooga from Kimberly, Alabama, in 1965 on a football scholarship. He described his life-learning experience this way: “We were taught the importance of a team. We won as a team. We lost as a team.” He carried this philosophy into a successful career.
He was grateful that UTC challenged him, gave him the opportunity to impact the future, to do things the right way, and to achieve excellence in all that he did. Bucky Wolford left his mark on his alma mater and those of us who worked with him.
Following my remarks, we will be celebrating the completion of the Wolford Family Athletic Center.
Albert Einstein said, “The most important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
Our charge as educators is to stimulate the aspirations of our students and encourage them to ask questions and to take bold steps. As Mocs, we strive to be catalysts for innovation, encourage intellectual exchange, focus on applied research, and build a sense of community.
Our students also learn that sometimes the path to success comes with failure. Entrepreneurs understand these lessons, and that is why entrepreneurship, housed as a discipline in the Rollins College of Business, is a campus-wide initiative.
The Mocs Experience inspires our students to dream big and achieve excellence.
“Education is the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another,” wrote G.K. Chesterton.
At UTC, we have the privilege to help our students define, understand and achieve success.
Are we up to the job? Absolutely.
We are Mocs. We are a special, committed, passionate, caring community.
Mocs. Learning. Doing. Leading.
Go Mocs!
